Surat fire kills 20 students at tutoring center

(CNN) - Twenty students were killed and 17 more are being treated for injuries after a fire tore through a commercial building in Surat, in the Indian state of Gujarat.

The victims were attending classes in a tutoring center on the third and fourth floor of the building when the fire spread, Surat police commissioner Satish Kumar Sharma told CNN.

"Several students who were attending tutorial classes at the time either jumped out or fell from the windows on the fourth floor while trying to escape the fire," Sharma said. At least one person who jumped or fell was killed, while others are receiving hospital treatment.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who declared victory in the country's general elections Thursday, wrote on Twitter that he was "extremely anguished" by the fire.

"My thoughts are with bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly," he said. "Have asked the Gujarat Government and local authorities to provide all possible assistance to those affected."